For those of you who do not know, Tom Reaume has been the Layout Editor of The Cardinal for the past two years plus. The Spring edition of The Cardinal was Tom’s swan (Cardinal?) song. The search is on for a new Layout Editor as Tom has signaled his departure.
Tom is the fellow who brings all of the many pieces together to create the four yearly editions of The Cardinal. Before Tom rides off into the sunset, we want to take the opportunity to shine a light on this multi-faceted Nature London volunteer.
Tom joined The Cardinal Editorial Committee in November 2017 and jumped into the role of Layout Editor for the Winter 2018 edition. Fortunately for the committee and the Nature London membership, Tom landed his enthusiastic jump with both feet!
Tom not only brought along his expertise and experience with InDesign and Photoshop, he also generated beyond-the-box thinking and promoted innovation in the look and layout of The Cardinal. Tom was instrumental in coordinating the linking of The Cardinal with the Nature London website. He has always been a strong proponent of members accessing The Cardinal on-line for not only conservation reasons, but also because of the splendid colour features of the website Cardinal.
Tom is a knowledgeable and passionate naturalist. His interest in the natural world is evident in his prolific writing, photography and art. Tom’s art and photography can be found in collections in Canada and abroad. Tom has written and illustrated the book, 620 Wild Plants of North America. This book is meticulous in its detail and was Tom’s project for many years. As demonstrated by the 10,000 sketches in this encyclopedic book, Tom is not only a writer but is also a gifted artist. Tom has written and illustrated other books including Pure Abstract Photography: The Creative Moment, Wild Plants of the Great Plains, and Manitoba’s Tall Grass Prairie: A Field Guide to an Endangered Space.
Tom has also authored several e-books, two of which are available free through the Nature London website; Gadwall A Natural History and the Chipping Sparrow Its Natural History. (See FREE eBook! for details.) Other e-books include The American Crow, Naturally and Photography Traditions.
Examples of Tom’s excellent writing, photography and sketch work can be found in several editions of The Cardinal. One of Tom’s many Cardinal contributions has been a regular column highlighting women naturalists. Tom has an active and busy mind that always seems to be working on a creative endeavour! On that note, Tom has a couple of project irons in the fire as we speak!
Tom’s technological expertise, “why not try it” attitude, lively sense of humour and creativity will be sorely missed by his Cardinal committee comrades and all those who enjoy The Cardinal. We imagine that Tom will continue to celebrate nature in all of its diverse and vast beauty. Tom’s many nature observations, writings, sketches and photography will be enjoyed by many naturalists for years to come.
The Cardinal Editorial Committee
